Disposable Ashtray

ABSTRACT

A disposable ashtray includes a body made of paper and having a compartment with a top opening for receiving cigarette butts. The annular wall includes an annular flange extending outward from a top thereof. A heat-resisting layer covers an inner face defining the compartment. A top cover is mounted on the top of the annular wall. The top cover includes a crown having a central hole. The crown includes a plurality of cigarette receiving grooves. The crown further includes an annular wall extending downward from an outer peripheral edge thereof. The annular wall has an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the annular flange. A plurality of protrusions extend inward from a lower edge of the annular wall. A first engaging groove is defined between each protrusion, the crown, and the annular wall. The annular flange is engaged in the engaging grooves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ashtray and, more particularly, to a disposable ashtray.

Conventional ashtrays generally made of glass, rigid plastic, metal or ceramic material are expensive and, thus, not discarded immediately after use. Furthermore, conventional ashtrays can not be compressed to reduce the volume and are, thus, not suitable for use in the outdoors or vehicles. Further, smokers in public places often throw the cigarette butts onto the ground when no ashtray is near, leading to environmental pollution and risk of fire. However, carriage and cleaning of ashtrays is not convenient. Furthermore, cleaning of ashtrays for some places such as hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. requires intensive labor.

Thus, a need exists for an inexpensive ashtray that can be discarded immediately after use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of ashtrays by providing, in a preferred form, a disposable ashtray including a body made of paper and having a compartment with a top opening. The compartment is adapted for receiving cigarette butts. The annular wall includes an annular flange extending outward from a top thereof. A heat-resisting layer made of aluminum foil or tin foil covers an inner face defining the compartment. A top cover is mounted on the top of the annular wall. The top cover includes a crown having a central hole. The crown further includes a plurality of cigarette receiving grooves. The crown further includes an annular wall extending downward from an outer peripheral edge thereof. The annular wall has an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the annular flange. A first protrusion extends inward from a lower edge of the annular wall. A first engaging groove is defined between the first protrusion, the crown, and the annular wall. The annular flange is engaged in the first engaging groove.

In the most preferred form, the crown of the top cover includes a top face above the central opening. The top face includes the outer peripheral edge. The crown further includes an inclined face extending downward from an inner peripheral edge of the top face toward the central opening. The cigarette receiving grooves are annularly spaced from one another and extend into the inclined face. Furthermore, each cigarette receiving groove includes an inner end and an outer end having a spacing to the central opening larger than the inner end. The inner end has a spacing to the top face of the crown larger than the outer end. The annular wall further includes a plurality of second protrusions extending inward from the lower edge thereof. The second protrusions are annularly spaced from one another and spaced from the first protrusion. A second engaging groove is defined between the crown, the annular wall, and each second protrusion. The annular flange is engaged in the second engaging grooves. Each of the first and second protrusions abuts against a lower edge of the annular flange. The annular wall further includes an annular extension extending outward from the lower edge of the annular wall away from the crown and away from the annular wall. The annular extension has an inner diameter larger than that of the top opening. The annular extension can be gripped by a user to allow easy removal of the top cover from the body.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective view of a disposable ashtray according to the preferred teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the disposable ashtray of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of the disposable ashtray of FIG. 1 according to section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of a circled portion of FIG. 3.

All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.

Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “first”, “second”, “lower”, “end”, “inner”, “outer”, “annular”, “peripheral”, “outward”, “inward”, “spacing”, and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A disposable ashtray according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in the drawings and generally designated 10. According to the preferred form show, ashtray 10 includes a body 1 and a top cover 2 mounted on top of body 1. Body 1 is made of paper and includes an annular wall 11 having an inner peripheral face and a bottom wall 12 having an inner face. The inner peripheral face of annular wall 11 and the inner face of bottom wall 12 define a compartment 15 having a top opening 13. Compartment 15 receives cigarette butts and ash. According to the most preferred form shown, annular wall 12 includes an annular flange 14 extending outward from a top thereof. A heat-resisting layer 16 made of aluminum foil or tin foil covers the inner peripheral face of annular wall 11 and the inner face of bottom wall 12.

According to the preferred form shown, top cover 2 is made of fire-resistant and heat-resistant plastic material such as melamine. Top cover 2 is mounted on the top of annular wall 12. According to the most preferred form shown, top cover 2 includes a crown 21 having a top face 214 and a central hole 211 below top face 214. Crown 21 further includes an inclined face 211 extending downward from an inner peripheral edge of top face 214 toward central opening 211. Crown 21 further including a plurality of cigarette receiving grooves 213 annularly spaced from one another and extending into inclined face 211. A cigarette 3 that is still burning can be held in one of cigarette receiving grooves 213. Each cigarette receiving groove 213 includes an inner end and an outer end having a spacing to central opening 211 larger than the inner end. The inner end has a spacing to top face 214 of crown 21 larger than the outer end. Specifically, each cigarette receiving groove 211 extends toward central opening 211 in an inclination angle preferably smaller than 5 degrees. Crown 21 further including an annular wall 22 extending downward from an outer peripheral edge of top face 214. Annular wall 22 has an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of annular flange 14. A plurality of protrusions 23 extends inward from a lower edge of annular wall 22. An engaging groove 25 is defined between each protrusion 23, annular wall 22, and top face 214 (or a bottom face of one of cigarette receiving groove 213) of crown 21. After annular wall 22 of top cover 2 is placed on top of body 1 and then pressed, annular flange 14 of body 1 is engaged in engaging grooves 25. Furthermore, each protrusion 23 abuts against a lower edge of annular flange 14. Thus, top opening 13 of body 1 is covered by top cover 2. Annular wall 22 further includes an annular extension 24 extending outward from the lower edge of annular wall 22 away from top face 214 and away from annular wall 22. Annular extension 24 has an inner diameter larger than that of top opening 13. Furthermore, annular extension 24 is conic so that top cover 2 can be easily aligned with body 1 when mounting top cover 2 onto body 1. When it is desired to detach top cover 2 from body 1, a user can grip top cover 2 by annular extension 24 to remove it from body 1.

In use, cigarettes 3 that are still burning can be placed in cigarette receiving grooves 213 of top cover 2 (FIG. 3). Compartment 15 of body 1 can receive cigarette butts and ash. Compartment 15 can receive a small amount of water or a wet paper so that cigarettes 3 can be put out easily. Thus, ashtray 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention provides functions the same as conventional ones. Furthermore, the costs of body 1 and top cover 2 of ashtray 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention are low and, thus, can be discarded immediately after use without the need of cleaning by labor. Further, ashtray 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention can be compressed to reduce the volume, allowing convenience use in the outdoors or vehicles. Further, ashtray 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention can receive garbage such as consumed chewing gun or betel nut juice. After use, top cover 2 is removed from body 1, and body 1 can be compressed to envelope the cigarette butts, ash, and garbage contained therein. Body 1 and top cover 2 can be then discarded. However, top cover 2 can be reused if it is not dirty. Thus, ashtray 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is easy to use and can be easily handled after use to provide a clean environment.

Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein. 

1. A disposable ashtray comprising: a body made of paper and including a compartment having a top opening, with the compartment being adapted for receiving cigarette butts, with the annular wall including an annular flange extending outward from a top thereof, with a heat-resisting layer made of aluminum foil or tin foil covering an inner face defining the compartment; and a top cover mounted on the top of the annular wall, with the top cover including a crown having a central hole, with the crown further including a plurality of cigarette receiving grooves, with the crown further including an annular wall extending downward from an outer peripheral edge thereof, with the annular wall having an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the annular flange, with a first protrusion extending inward from a lower edge of the annular wall, with a first engaging groove being defined between the first protrusion, the crown, and the annular wall, with the annular flange being engaged in the first engaging groove.
 2. The disposable ashtray as claimed in claim 1, with the top cover being made of heat-resistant plastic material.
 3. The disposable ashtray as claimed in claim 1, with the crown of the top cover including a top face above the central opening, with the top face including the outer peripheral edge, with the crown further including an inclined face extending downward from an inner peripheral edge of the top face toward the central opening, and with the plurality of cigarette receiving grooves being annularly spaced from one another and extending into the inclined face.
 4. The disposable ashtray as claimed in claim 3, with the annular wall further including a plurality of second protrusions extending inward from the lower edge thereof, with the plurality of second protrusions being annularly spaced from one another and spaced from the first protrusion, with a second engaging groove being defined between the crown, the annular wall, and each of the plurality of second protrusions, with the annular flange being engaged in the second engaging grooves, and with each of the first and second protrusions abutting against a lower edge of the annular flange.
 5. The disposable ashtray as claimed in claim 3, with each of the plurality of cigarette receiving groove including an inner end and an outer end having a spacing to the central opening larger than the inner end, and with the inner end having a spacing to the top face of the crown larger than the outer end.
 6. The disposable ashtray as claimed in claim 1, with the annular wall further including an annular extension extending outward from the lower edge of the annular wall away from the crown and away from the annular wall, and with the annular extension having an inner diameter larger than that of the top opening. 